One Step In, Two Steps Out
by FantasyDweller13
Summary: They were always in their own little world. Now, it's time to move on. Now, it's time to enter the real world, even if one of them has to stay behind.


One Step In, Two Steps Out:

They are twins, identical twins. For all they're life, no one, except a select few could differentiate between Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. And to be honest, they were perfectly fine with that.

The Hitachiin twins grew up in their own little world, where it was just "us" and "them". It was tightly locked and sealed in an opaque shield, the world consisting of only the two twins. No one could come in, but no one would leave.

It started when they were young. Growing up, they were always mischievous, cunning little twerps, centered alone in their own little world, only slightly aware of those on the outside. And they were happy. Almost.

No matter how much they wanted to deny the truth, they were always a little bit lonely, because sometimes, you need more than just each other. But, unlike the norm, this loneliness made their world shrink, smaller and smaller until they believed no one could get in.

Subconsciously, at first, they wanted one person to pass through the borders, the feisty, traitorous maid. There was only one test to pass. It shouldn't have been too hard, right? However, it seemed, their little game was too easy to lose. It was a 50-50 chance, yet no one ever got it right. Why?

After that, they didn't allow any others to cross the borderline. They pushed all those away, the ones that only wanted to be friends due to their family name (which was almost everyone at Ouran), and the girls that only liked them for their dashing looks. No one cared for them, so they cared for no one.

It was during this time period when they realized how fun it was to become twisted. Their humor was rather rude and spiteful, but they didn't care. They were too far wrapped in each other, in themselves. They were just self-centered.

Many girls came up to them, some, if not most, fairly cute and innocent. But they were all the same, with the same responses to their little game. It was getting boring. They all couldn't tell the Hitachiin twins apart, with their red-orange locks, yellow-gold eyes, and similar face structure. They were perfectly identical, if not for the part in their hair.

Then came their idiot lord, the foolish king, Tamaki Suoh. He was a stupid. He was everything that people wouldn't expect from the heir of the Suoh family. He was… Tamaki.

Of course, he would be the first person to break through their barriers. He was so dense, he couldn't see even see the wall, like how a bird sometimes does not see the glass window. But even when he crashed, he got right up again. He was a persistent fellow. That, they would admit.

They played the "Which one is Hikaru?" game, and like many others, he failed multiple times. Tamaki came up with crazy outrageous ideas trying to differentiate the truth. How dare he thought Kaoru was pigeon toed! And they weren't a choir. There were no harmonies in bass and tenor.

Still, in the end, Tamaki Suoh was the first person to win their little game. Of course, his natural intuition shouldn't have counted, but he still won. And the words that followed were ones that cleared the opaque walls, making it a beautiful transparent color, like sparkling glass that refracted water to make rainbows. Their tears they hid since they were little could finally fall.

Tono opened their eyes, but he didn't break down their walls. It was far too indestructible. Soon, though, the Host Club came along, and the wall became thinner and clearer, almost vanishing completely from sight.

Hikaru and Kaoru started opening up. Hani-sempai and Mori-sempai was people they looked up too, with a bond almost as great as theirs. Honey-sempai was kind and childish, but still strong and protective. Mori-sempai was quiet and stoic, but with a soft and gentle side.

Kyouya-sempai was the glasses-eyed teen, with a knack for calculating and planning. He was always calm, except in the morning, with his low blood pressure, which they soon learned well into the years on all the crazy escapades with their lord. They couldn't see very well how Tamaki and Kyouya became so close. Their personalities clashed, but they soon found out it wasn't an unpleasant one.

Tamaki-sempai was stupid, but he was also strangely perceptive. From all the stories they heard, they found out he was a so-called "love child", never meant to see his mother again. They didn't understand how he could be so happy and reckless, while still bearing that burden of a sad (not tragic, but still sad) past.

Together, with Tamaki, Kyouya, Hani, and Mori, they were the Host Club, the little family of theirs, all wrapped and neat, packaged in smiles and laughter. Sure the ladies that they entertained would be quite interesting, but none dared enter the little walls of the Host Club. It was just them. It was just their little family.

Then came the commoner exchange student, Haruhi Fujioka. She crashed into their family just like how the vase crashed into the floor; suddenly and unexpectedly. However, no one regretted letting her in. It was a nice change for once, having a girl as a host, and knowing all the secrets of the newest member and teasing the unsuspecting, blunt kid.

When Haruhi managed to figure out the secret to the twins' game, it was no surprise that they both fell heads over heels in love with the cross-dressing girl. Maybe, it is time to move on from their little world.

Time progressed. Kaoru started noticing the small signs that Hikaru had really fallen for Haruhi. Eventually, the signs started getting bigger, and larger, and even more obvious. Like the way he blushed when she talked to him or got close, or the way he got jealous whenever some other guy touched, talked, laughed, smiled at her, even his own twin brother!

So, Kaoru started thinking, not of girls and hormones, but of a deeper meaning to the world that was starting to invade theirs. He thought of carriages and magic spells, of pumpkins and midnight. He thought of happily ever after, of fantasy and reality.

He thought of the reasons why the world was as it is now. The lines of Cinderella encircled his brain, creating a story that he could read. He always loved reading. So, he imagined their world now, as a fascinating, majestic carriage that was originally an old pumpkin. The spell they cast ended at midnight, but when was that?

He knew happily ever after followed, but he was so happy with just the magic pumpkin carriage. Kaoru didn't want the spell to break.

Then he really started to think about the changes. Kaoru was thinking, wondering when and what would break the spell. He turned his attention to Haruhi.

The feelings he felt for Haruhi as well was strong, but the way Hikaru composed himself around Haruhi, the way he acted different, Kaoru knew what he had to do. He loved Haruhi, but he loved Hikaru more. He would give up Haruhi so that Hikaru could see the truth. So that Hikaru could move on. He would break the spell, and he would use Haruhi to do it.

Kaoru was always more conscious of the outside world. He could see farther beyond the gates than his older twin. But, he was also more grounded to their world. That was his price.

He grew up in their world, while Hikaru did not. Hikaru still had a chance to move on. Still had another chance to grow away from their lonely world. So, he did all he could to give Hikaru that push.

He was always trapped in their world of Hikaru and Kaoru, but for him, as long as the other occupant could leave, he would be happy. He would rejoice, because for once, he wouldn't feel like an obstacle, an impediment in Hikaru's happiness. He would make Hikaru happy, even if he had to sacrifice the world.

One step in… Kaoru sets his imaginary foot that represents where they stand in their world back. He willingly gives up his spot in the outside world for Hikaru. But he doesn't mind. He's always been able to interact with the outside world in their little world, unlike Hikaru.

He waves happily to Kyouya, Tamaki, Honey, and Mori, like isn't leaving them to withdraw into his own little world again. He smiles that cheerful smile, in that certain way that only Hikaru can tell it's a mask.

Two steps out… He gives Hikaru a small push, and Hikaru takes two steps. One to the borderline, one all the way out. Kaoru expects for Haruhi to catch Hikaru on his way out, because he cares too much for Hikaru to let him fall.

Sometimes, he wonders, maybe for once, should he have been selfish? Should he have been the one to take two steps forward?

But then he laughs. Not in a crazed, maniacal manner, but in a soft chuckle, like an inside joke only for him. Of course he wouldn't have taken those two steps out. It would mean leaving Hikaru in their world forever. He hates that now he and Hikaru have secrets, and that now, it's getting harder to read each other, but when he sees Hikaru smile, he smiles too. Eventually, he'll move forward too.

Kaoru can find a way out, he already knows all the secret entrances and exits, plus his brother is on the other side now. He'll find a way, and together, in time, they'll become a part of the world they left out. Eventually, their world will dissolve away, and they'll each find their way in the great, big world.

It's like a waltz. One step, two steps. Bum-bu-bu, bum-bu-bu. One step, two steps. One step, two steps. Most waltzes, if not all, follow that pattern. Its music is similar as it moves, not unlike etudes and romantic pieces, but there's always something different.

Hikaru and Kaoru are dancing their own waltz, and now it's time to switch partners. One step, two steps. One step in, two steps out.

Goodbye Hikaru. Don't wait up.

**Hello! I started watching and reading Ouran High School Host Club when my friend showed it to me, and since I have so much time on my hands, I decided to write a Fanfiction on it. Tell me what you think, since I think it needs work. I don't own Ouran High School Host Club. All rights and rewards go to Bisco Hatori. **


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